Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-03-30
what Mr.. Harbour SAYS

Correspondence or the Alexandria GaZettol
WASHINGTON, ID. c., March 2S.-As
stated in this correspondence last Sat-
urday, Mr.. Barbour returned that day
from Richmond, where he had been to
attend a meeting Of the Democratic
Central Committee OF his State. Mr..
Barbour was at the Capitol this morn
ing, and, in short talk with the Ga
setto's correspondent about matters in
his State, ssid he was more hopeful that
the debt question would be settled
when he left Richmond than when he
reached there that when he first ar
rived there he was really fearful the
proposed constitutional amendment for
repudiating all the debt unfunded in
Riddleberger bonds would be adopted, as
many Of themembers of the Legislature
seemed to favor such measure, and,
strange to say, those apparently most
inclined that way were not original Re
adjusters, but Straightout Democrats,
who had only accepted the Riddleber-
ger bill as matter of necessity but
that when he left that feeling had
abated considerably. He was induced
to believe that this favorable change
was at least partially due to the inhu-
ence of the State Committee, large
majority of whom were opposed to such
a measure, and thought the next cam
paign could not he won on such plat
form. He said the members OF the
Legislature had more individuality and
independence than the members OF
Congress, for whereas in the lat
ter body few men on either side were
the recognized leaders and controlled
the action of their respective sides, in
the former there were no recognized
leaders and each member pursued his
own course irrespective apd independ-
ent Of that of his party colleagues. Re-
specting the time when the Democratic
Convention OF his State would be
called-the State Executive Committee,
Of which he is the chairman, having
the power to fix that time-he said he
supposed it would be between the first
and the middle of August, as that was
the time when the farmers had some
leisure, and as it was usual to hold
such conventions about that time. When
asked whether he would take charge Of
the next campaign in Virginia he re-
piled that it would be time enough to
answer that question after the conyen-
ton had been held but that if it should
so happen that he would manage it, it
would certainly not be upon the idea,
which he was sorry to see had been
lately advanced, that his own political
preferment should be a factor in the
case. He said he had not conducted
the last campaign on any such idea,
and most assuredly would not do so in
any future one. If, after the battle
shall be fought and won with him as
leader, the Virginia Democracy might
deem him worthy of any honor and
choose to bestow it in their own way,
well and good; but that as to making
campaign with any selfish Ill
terror object in view, he wouldn't
think of it, and wouldn't de-
serve to win if he did. Mr.. Bar
bour said he was not as much inclined
to politics now as he had been, and that
there were so many different and OPP
posing factions in the Democracy of
his State now-the law-and-order party,
the knights of labor, the protective as-
sociatiop, and the farmers organi2a-
tion-that the conduct of the next cam
paign was neither an easy nor an in
viting object. Mr.. Barbour said the
majority OF the people Of his State now
were very poor, but that good deal
of northern capital was seeking and
finding investment there, and that with
the debt question settled, of which he
now had some hope, there was no doubt
OF speedy improvement in the mate
rial condition of Virginia.